The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-26
SPIDERS AND THEIR WAYS.
Some Cunning Remarka-
BILE as Architects and Upholsterers.


spider family is very numerous, no less
than fifty kinds being described by natural
lists All spiders have eight legs, with
three joints In each, and terminating in
thin, crooked claws. They also have eight
eyes, differently arranged, according to the
species Some have them in a straight line,
others in the shape of a capital V, others four
above and four below, others two above,
two below and two on either side, and there
are still Others that have them arranged in a
manner too complicated to describe without
drawings. On the front part of the head
they have pair of sharp, crooked claws, or
forceps, which stand horizontally, and
which, when hot III use, are hidden froEa
view in little cases beautifully, adapted to
their reception, and in which they fold up
like q claspknife, and remain there between
two rows of teeth. When the spider bites
it thrusts a white proboscis out of its mouth,
with which it instils poisonous liquid into
the wound. The abdomen, or hind part of
the spider, is separated from the head and
breast by a small, thread-like tube. The
outer skin is a hard polished crust.
a very curious specimen, not often found
in this country, but which is said TO be very
common i'll Italy, is the hunting spider, SO
called because, Instead of spinning webs to
entrap its prey, it jumps on its victim. 1t
is small, and of brown color, bSWstifully
spotted, and its hind legs are longer than
the Others When it sees fly 3 or yards
distant, it plans its attack with considerable
elaboration, creeping softly up and seldom
missing its object. When in a direct line,
the spider springs upon the back of the UNI
suspecting fiy and catches it by the head,
and, after satisfying its hunger carries the
rest away for future consumption.
The nest OF this spider is very curious. 1t
is about inches high, and is composed of a
Close satin-like texture. In this are two
chambers placed prependicularly, in which
the spider reposes during the day, generally
doing his hunting after night fall. The
parent regularly instructs her young how
to pursue their future vocation, and when
in the course of their instruction they hap
pom to miss jump, they run away and
hide as though ashamed of their future.
The most extraordinary nest is that of the
mason spider, native of the tropics. This
nest is formed of a very hard clay, deeply
colored with oxide of iron 1t is in the
form of a tube, about / inch i'll diameter
and or inches long. 1t is lined with
uniform tapestry of orange-colored silken
web, of texture rather thicker than fine
paper. This lining is useful in two ways.
It prevents the wall of the house from fall
ing down. and, as it is connected with the
door, it enables the spider to know what is
going on above, for the whole vibrates
| when one part is touched. To one who has
never seen this nest, the word door may
\ seem singular, but, nevertheless, there is a
! door, and very ingeniously contrived one,
too, and it is regarded as one of the most
curious things in the whole of insect archi-
lecture. 1t is little round piece, made TO
fit the opening slightly convex inside and
concave on the outer side. 1t is composed
of twelve or more layers of web similar to
that with which the nest is lined, laid very
closely together, and so managed that the
inner layers are the broadest, the others
gradually diminishing in size except near
the hinge, which is about an inch long.
All the layers are united and prolonged
into the tube, consequently it is the tirmest
| and strongest portion ofthe whole structure.
| The material Is SO elastic that the hinge
shuts as though it lad spring, The nest is
always made on a sloping bank, and one
side is higher than the other, the hinge being
| invariably placed on the highest side The
| spider knows well that when placed in this
way the door will fall and close itself when
pushed from the outside, and so nicely does
| it fit in the little groove made fog 1t that the
| most careful observer can scarcely discover
where the joint is Should the door be re-
moved, another one will soon be put in its
place. These spiders hunt their prey by
night, and devour them in the nest. A pair
of spiders, with twenty or thirty young
ones often live in one of these nests.
| in this country is that of the labyrinthic
spider. whose web every one has seen,
spread out like brond sheet in the hedges.
| The middle Of this web, which is of very
close texture, is suspended like sailors
hammock by fine silken threads fastened to
higher branches The whole curves up
ward, sloping down to a l9ng, funnel-shaped
gallery, nearly horizontal at the entrance,
but winding oblquely until it becomes
almost perpendicular. This gallery is
about a quarter of am inch in diameter, is
more closely woven than the sheet part of
the web, and gana,olly descends into hole
| in the ground or into a soft tuft of grass.
Here is the spider dwelling place, where he
may be found resting, with his legs ex-
| tended, ready to spring aud catch the hap
less insects which get entangle1 i'll his sheet
net
| The most famous of all spiders is the
tarantula. 1t is inhabitant of Italy,
! Cyprus and the East Indies, It's breast and
! abdomen are ash-colored, as are also the
wings. which have blackish rings ON the
! INFER side. It's eyes are red, two of them
being larger than the others and placed III
the front of its head. Four others are
| placed in a transverse direction near the
mouth, and the remaining two are close TO
the back. 1t generally lives in bare fields
where the LAID is soft, and it avoids damp,
shady places, preferring a rising ground.
| It's nest is inches deep, half an inch wide
and curved at the bottom, and here the
| insect retreats in urfavorable weather,
weaving a web at the door for security
against rain and dampness. In July it
! casts its skin and lays eggs 20 She number
] of 40, but does not live TO rear the young,
as it dies in the early winter. The bite OF
this spider was formerly regarded as fatal.
1t was said that the part bitten became
/ greatly infiamed, then sickness and FAINT
ness came on, followed by difficulty in
breathing, and thin by death The only
| cure reeiorted to was music A musician
was brought to the patient, and he tried one
! air after another until one was found that
would make tine sufferer dance. The
violence of the exercise brought on profuse
perspiration, which cured the disorder.
| All this was long believed but its truth
was questioned, and investigation showod
that tho tarantula was harmless, and the
supposed injuries idiicted by it were made
use Of as an excuse for INDUCING in dance
similar to that of the priestess OF Bacchus,
| which the introduction Of Christianity had
put an end to. Those who were not i'm"
| posters were merely afflicted in consequences
| of the bite with that nervous illness known
as st. Vitus dance, and to thus saint many
chapels have been dedicated a story is
told that u gentleman travelling in Italy
several years ago was anxious TO see the
dance, but as it was too early in the year 70
find that spider, the only thing he could DO